Jason Steed Certified Primal Health Coach
Cool, I have control over my family genes!
On New Years Eve 2016 I joined up with 2 of my cousins for a somewhat steep 6-mile hike up Frary Peak on Antelope Island. Our conversation turned to age, energy and body weight. Kevan and Brent were both hovering below 170lbs whereas I had somehow climbed from my years-long 171lbs up to 184lbs over the course of the previous 3 years. All of us being roughly the same age, and given our similar familial traits and genetic factors, I took particular interest in our varying body compositions.
A couple of months later I had a routine physical with my family physician who attributed my mid-section weight gain to "natural aging factors." I pretty much accepted this diagnosis.
When your doctor says, "That's just because you're getting old" don't believe it.
A month later I decided to support my wife in her Whole30 nutrition program as suggested by her sister and a couple others. Those who know anything about the program will sympathize with my discomfort in abandoning my to-to foods such as all forms of dairy, grains, legumes, and sugars. But over the course of 9 or 10 days I noticed unexpected improvements in my energy level throughout the day and lack of bloating and burping after meals.
Health Issues Close to Home
This enlightenment into my own health potential got me thinking about my immediate family members, each of whom has their own unique health challenges. My wife and my mom have both battled varying degrees of depression and anxiety. My children have confronted daily challenges with social anxiety, asthma, poor core muscle tone, coordination, dyslexia, brain fog, allergies, gastrointestinal disorders, insomnia and more. I've always been in general good health, and I'm grateful for that. I also realize that good health is a moving target that we each have to individually zero in on.
But as I pursued adapted new ancestral health and lifestyle habits as laid out by the Primal Blueprint and other sources, I discovered strength and wellness that I didn't even know I was missing. My improved energy and increased knowledge helped me to help my wife, my children, my parents, relatives, and so forth.
I Focus on Families
My own health practices came to light as I got to know my own genetic structure.
Each of us inherits familial traits that lay out our own individual blueprint. Some of our traits are inherently healthy, and others are not. Moreover, most of our "unhealthy" inherited traits are within our control to express or suppress. It's a liberating feeling to discover how much control we possess in our own unique gene expression and anti-aging trends.
Getting to Know Your Own Familial Genes
Your opportunities for health are spelled out as you get to know your own genetic structure. That said, you need not research your ancestral health records to make an immediate and lasting impact on your own wellbeing. Much of the good you can do for yourself—and your family—comes into play as you observe your own healthy "cause and effect" habits. What I mean by this is that you can reset many of the symptoms that concern you (as well as many that you don't even realize you had) by avoiding suspect foods and toxins, and by introducing healthier foods and lifestyle habits. This was certainly the case for me as I discovered daily energy reserves that I didn't know I had.